Excalibur
by Nanospeed
Summary: In this world, strength was only an illusion.
1. Link Start

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Sword Art Online.

It was the first virtual reality game to be created. Technology has made it possible to fully immerse a person's consciousness in a brand new world. Its realism has reached the point where players are unable to tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

A fantasy where a castle floated in an endless sky. Its size was immeasurable, the first floor alone rivalled the size of a country with many cities, forests, lakes and mountains. It was just one realm of the one hundred in existence. It was a place where wielding mystical weapons, performing athletic feats beyond human limits and fighting legendary monsters were only some of the things a player can do. In fact, everything that was possible in the real world was also possible in this one.

The expected date of release was in the late fall of 2022, directly after the closed beta test. However the game developer decided at a whim to delay and make changes to his creation. The game would be available everywhere around the globe and the network server capacity would be expanded to handle millions of players, which was a vast improvement compared to the original plan of releasing exclusively in Japan with a network server capacity of only ten thousand players. All other major gaming companies were assimilated, effectively eliminating any possible competition and introducing new game content.

It took a lot of time and effort but finally after two and a half years, the game was released. Nerve Gear – the device that would connect a person's mind to Sword Art Online, made record sales unheard of in human history. From the hardcore gamers to those you would never expect to play games, people from all walks of life could be found possessing a copy. If this game was successful, virtual reality would be accepted and integrated into daily life. It was advent of a new era.

Except nobody saw it coming. A tragedy that stole away the lives of every player who chose to dive into the game. An event that would change the entire world forever.

ooo

A girl silently walked into her room, relieved to be home after finishing the usual intense training exercises. It was the summer break, but a torrential downpour caught her off guard and would probably deny any other outdoor activity for the rest of the weekend. She quickly slipped out of all her clothing and collapsed on the bed. Exhaustion gripped every part of her body and she was tempted to sleep, but the time on her cell phone's lit screen showed that it was still early morning. It also displayed one new message, prompting her to press the play button.

"Hi Suguha," her mother's tired voice came from the speakers. "Sorry I had to stay at the office overnight again. Don't worry, they cannot make me work overtime on a Saturday. I hope. Anyways, you will be pleased to hear that your father is coming home from his trip overseas. We can finally go on that long overdue family vacation and watch you compete in the national kendo tournament. I know that you've been through a lot, but hang in there. We will be waiting for you. Take care, bye."

The recording ended with an electronic beeping sound and she placed the cell phone back onto her bedside table next to an empty plate. She would have sighed, but a piece of toast stuffed in her mouth prevented her from doing so. It was good that they were coming back and hopefully a lot of her problems would be solved. Except that their arrival would probably be late at night and she needed something to pass the time. At that moment her eyes fell on the last object resting on the bedside table, a brand new Nerve Gear.

To be honest, she did not know what was going through her head when she pre-ordered that thing. The only experience she ever really had with electronics was her cell phone for texting and a small computer for web browsing. She strongly disliked video games or the idea of a virtual reality game, since it required sitting in a chair or lying in a bed for long periods of time. It was strange to how people invested so much into a fictional character or story that had no value in the real world.

Perhaps she wanted to find the person who was once very close to her. He chose to throw everything away despite his strength and immersed himself with such devices. She wanted to know why. Maybe he saw something that she did not, that could only be understood by actually exploring a world that was foreign to her. Whatever the reason, it was just another problem on her to-do list, one that bothered her more than the rest.

Her eyes drifted from the locked door of her room to the window, which was still being pelted on the outside with endless raindrops. She then picked up the Nerve Gear, holding it with outstretched arms to study it. It looked like a hockey helmet, enclosing as much as the head as possible. Countless tiny reflective transmitters and receptors lined the inside of the helmet. It was capable of manipulating the five senses by a direct connection to the brain.

On the outside of the helmet was a wire, which supposedly provided a link to the game's dedicated servers through the internet. Alternatively a wireless connection was possible via the company's satellites. There was also a rechargeable battery pack that was plugged by a wire into an electrical socket.

If anything, this new device seemed unsafe. But her intense curiosity was just too strong and she slowly placed the helmet on her head, while relaxing her body on the bed. To activate the game required one simple voice command.

"Link Start!"

Suddenly the world around her faded to black and the strangest sensation overtook her, or to be more accurate, the lack of any sensation at all. It was if she became a ghost, completely conscious yet without a body floating in an endless void. Strangely enough, she felt calm in place of fear, as if a soothing unknown force in her head was telling her to relax.

"Welcome to Sword Art Online," echoed a female voice from out of nowhere. "I will be your guide, programmed to help you start your journey. This is your first time playing, so please be patient as we begin custom calibrations. Initiating all scanning sequences."

Numbers flickered in front of her vision, somewhat like a holographic display, its light illuminating the surrounding area. She definitely was not in her room anymore, instead replaced by empty space as far as the eye could see with a grid like matrix to define it.

"Body scan complete," said the monotone voice. One of the numbers was already at one hundred percent. "Your virtual body is now ready."

The computer finished talking and she felt the cool sensation of air on her skin, only to realize that she had her body again. She read that the virtual character avatar was just composed of polygons, yet it felt and looked exactly like her real body. The amount of detail was amazing, from the deep inhaling of every breath to the simple wiggling of her toes.

"Vocal frequency scan complete," the computer said again, another number also at one hundred percent. "Please try out your voice. We recommend trying every note on the musical scale for test accuracy, but saying anything is fine."

"Okay," she whispered, not even realizing that her voice was temporarily gone in the first place. "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do," she sung without worry. Nobody would hear her even in the case she went off key.

"Well done," the computer praised her with a programmed response. "External scanning complete. All vitals are stable. All other minor scanning sequences will continue as we begin the character creation process."

"Character creation process?" She echoed in confusion.

"In Sword Art Online, or SAO for short, you have the ability to change your physical appearance. There are many things that can be modified from facial features to weight. Just keep in mind that changing certain attributes like height may affect your coordination and may take some time getting used to. You also have the option to be unique by using your original looks in game. We actually recommend it. The game designer has a special surprise prepared for those who do so in the official tutorial later today."

"I see," she said, wondering who 'we' and 'game designer' referred to and what their ulterior motive could be. Although a special surprise was tempting, the idea of strangers knowing what her real face looked like in a role-playing game left her feeling pretty uncomfortable. Acquiring supermodel looks also sounded pretty good. "I want to try changing anyway."

"Very well, please select a race. This is one of the new features in SAO which was not seen in the beta testing phase. You may notice that each creature is built differently than another, for example a giant is stronger than a human but also less nimble."

Suddenly different figures appeared, forming a circle around her. There was a human, a elf, a giant, a dwarf, a beast and even a fairy just to name a few. The human looked exactly like her. Every other figure despite being a different race had her facial characteristics that made them look similar. She wasn't particularly too fond of the beast version of herself.

"Let's try that one," she said while pointing to the figure on her right.

"Fairy race selected. Please select a sub-race," the computer requested. "Note that each sub-race also has different modifiers that differentiate them from each other. For example the Spriggans are skilled at treasure hunting and use illusion techniques to aid them in battle or the Salamanders who are naturally strong and use fire to augment their attacks."

She watched as the figures disappeared from view and the remaining fairy duplicated itself into nine new figures, each with a minor variations such as different colours of hair or the presence of a tail or long, pointy ears. They were familiar, she remembered seeing them before when browsing a random website, except they were from another game that was being planned for release. That company probably got assimilated by the one that owned SAO.

"I want to try that one," she pointed to the figure directly in front of her, who looked human but radiated a magical, graceful aura.

"That is a Sylph. A fairy race who has exceptional natural growth in speed and uses wind to augment their abilities," there was a slight pause. "Are you sure of your selection?"

"Yes," she replied. Her hands then proceeded to manipulate various holographic menus that would change her appearance. It was strange. She was never conscious of her body image, yet here she was, deeply immersed in customizations. It was as if she was creating something from a fairy tale, something that was long forgotten and buried in her childhood memories.

A long time passed until she was finally satisfied with her work. There was a mirror which materialized in front of her and reflected an image she was so familiar with. Beside it was the customized holographic figure which could almost pass for her sister. Compared to her real body, this one was still similar in certain characteristics such as vertical height and facial features. However her black hair with a bluish hue was changed to a golden colour like honey. Her eye colour was changed to a bright green that resembled emeralds. Also her slender, toned figure of an athlete was slightly modified into a lithe figure of a graceful model.

"Are you satisfied with your changes?" The computer asked, noticing that she was admiring her own work. "If so, please create display name for yourself. Please note that offensive words, long strings of meaningless numbers or gibberish cannot be used."

She closed her eyes, thinking of a name. She could have used her own name, but it just didn't feel safe to do so and went against common sense. Her new name also had to be something meaningful, something unique. She searched once again through her childhood memories.

"Lyfa," she whispered after a moment of thought. "That's a good name."

Suddenly there was a flash of pure, white light and a gentle warmth wrapped around her body. When the light faded, everything around her was gone and the surrounding area was once again empty. The mirror also slowly disintegrated into nothingness, but not before she was able to catch a glimpse of her new image.

"There is only one more step to go before you enter the world of Aincrad, the place where a castle floats in an endless sky," the computer said. "You may encounter dangers during your adventure. To protect yourself, please select one weapon. Of course you will have many opportunities in the future to acquire better equipment."

Many items appeared around her, encircling her in the same manner the holographic figures did a few minutes ago. Except that there was so many, the extensive variety made the once expansive space cramped. There was everything from bulky metal plate armour to linen dresses under leather vests. Weapons ranged from vicious looking axes to elaborate long spears.

An object of interest caught her eye, glimmering as it floated past her. She instinctively reached out for it and somehow the object floated to her. It was a sword with a straight edge, with a leather sheath and a strap to carry it. The sword had a dull lustre and was not exactly the best in design, but it felt familiar in her hands. She felt that the weapon suited her.

She also grabbed a sleeveless shirt and short shorts which resembled her athletic attire in the real world. The fine cloth was dark green, its colour like that of evergreen trees. It probably wouldn't give her any defensive protection at all, but it was perfect for swift, unrestricted movement. She slipped into her new clothing and then grabbed boots that seemed comfortable for running.

"Please answer one question before you go," the electric voice sounded lively and genuinely curious. "Why do you wish to exist in this world?"

"I don't-" she paused, unsure of what to say next. It was a very strange question for a computer to ask. "I don't know." She closed her eyes, wondering why she was taking this so seriously. It was then that the image of a certain important person flashed through her mind and she knew how to reply. "Even so. I will always move forwards. Until I find that answer."

There was a short moment of silence, as if her honest response was being processed. "All scans complete," the computer's voice returned to speaking in its normal monotone. "As I mentioned before, there will be an official tutorial today, which is the grand opening event for this game. All you have to do is remain online and you may be rewarded. Are you ready to proceed to the game?"

"Yes," she nodded enthusiastically.

"Confirmed," the tone of the computer's female voice slowed as if shutting down, its purpose finished. "Good luck, Lyfa."

The void which permitted her to float was overcome with gravity. She began to fall...

ooo

It was as if she snapped out a long daydream, her emerald eyes bringing a world that she was unaware of into focus. There was a giant marble fountain, a small orchestra playing music and even fireworks in the sky as if to welcome her. She was no longer falling, but rather standing in a large crowd of people. Every so often, a beam of light akin to a blue flame flickered in an empty space of the city square and a new person, often confused, was left in its place. This area was a starter point for new players.

She was already lost. Even if she knew the mechanics and goal of this game, it didn't change the fact that she was dropped off in the middle of a giant city without any map or directions. She wished that the official tutorial mentioned by the computer wasn't scheduled later in the day. The creators of this game should have implemented a minor help feature or written a specific chapter in the instruction manual for a situation like this. Then again, it could have been their intentions for players to initially explore on their own.

So she wandered off. Asking other players for help seemed silly since this game was less than a day old. Asking the non-player characters or NPC seemed even sillier. She figured that a computer programmed to live a normal life had limited responses to a stranger who didn't know what to do or where to go. There was so many people, she didn't know who to ask even if she did have the right questions.

The flow of people was similar to pedestrian traffic in the heart of a downtown shopping district. The city was huge and it was pretty easy to get lost in a maze of cobblestone roads surrounded by a cluster of buildings. A small fraction of the current player base could permanently live here if they wanted to and it was safe to assume that there were much more starter cities out there.

It was a pleasant atmosphere. The architecture of the buildings reminded her of castles from the medieval ages that she read in a book. There were many houses, inns, tailors, restaurants and shops with so many people in it, she couldn't even tell what they were selling. Amongst the conversing voices were the sounds of music, town criers, vendors, animals and blacksmith hammers. She could even smell delicious food, ranging from grilled meats to spicy curry.

It took her quite some time before she arrived at the iron gates. It was the main entry and exit point through the giant stone walls that surrounded the city. The gates were open and the guards seemed nice to let anyone pass, but the crowd that she followed to this point greatly thinned out and nobody chose to do so. Mustering her courage, she continued on and crossed the oak drawbridge over the deep moat.

The dirt path she stood on led to a beautiful green meadow as far as the eye could see. Its beauty was emphasized by the occasional gentle breeze which swept across the tall, lush grass and causing a ripple effect throughout the field. There was the occasional bush and tree which offered a generous amount of shade from the bright rays of the warm sun.

Which reminded her...

This was the first floor of castle Aincrad. There was supposedly a second floor above her. Yet, she could see no ceiling or any other kind of marked boundary. It was all filled by an endless, clear, blue sky. It was a nice change of pace from the rainy weather from hours ago. Perhaps the vastness of outer space and the countless amount of stars would be in view when night falls.

What was the game creator thinking when calling this place a castle? It seemed to cause misunderstanding, this place was more like a limitless universe. The term, 'parallel worlds' seemed more appropriate than the term 'floors.'

There was no end even after straying off the dirt path. The once large buildings of the city were now smaller in the background behind her. In the distance in front of her were platforms in the sky, each supported by small pillars that resembled tree trunks. A few of these isolated floating islands even had waterfalls pouring into the sparkling lakes below, but she could not see where the water was coming from.

It was a strange place, but beautiful. For a brief moment, she felt that it wouldn't be so bad to get lost out here. Suddenly, she heard a suspicious rustle in a nearby bush.

A four legged animal that resembled a pig walked out, except that it was abnormally larger and had bizarre blue skin. It was grazing on the vegetation, but it looked scary and intimidating with its sharp tusks. Words in red text flashed onto her field of vision, as if she was wearing contact lens with a integrated holographic display.

'Frenzy Boar - Level 1'

According to the instruction manual, this thing was a monster. Defeating it would yield experience points needed to level up. She did not know how levelling up would make her stronger, but she did know that the thing that stood in front of her was potentially dangerous. Just like a wild animal, she did not want to turn her back to it, because that usually led to disastrous results in the real world.

Her right hand reached for her sword that she carried on her back. She then gripped the handle and unsheathed it, causing the ringing sound of metal to echo throughout the field. She took a few steps back, her eyes focused on the animal, watching its every movement.

The frenzy boar glared at her, as if sharing her sentiments. It snorted in anger and scratched the soft earth with the hoof of its right foreleg. It was readying itself for a charge.

The brief silence was interrupted by another light gust of wind sweeping the grass around her and it seemed to magnify the tense atmosphere this time around. It was just a game, where most people would be worrying about experience points and having fun. But it felt too real, the monster in front of her actually seemed to pose a dangerous threat. This would be her first fight with the intent to seriously harm and potentially even kill.

All she had to do was strike a blow that was strong enough to drop the beast and interrupt its charge. Her next move would be determined from the outcome, which was to either run away or finish it off. As a kendo practitioner, she did have a couple of techniques at her disposal. Although a little improvisation was required since the frenzy boar did not exactly have the height of a human.

The animal charged, the giant mass of muscle picking up a surprising amount of speed. She took a stance, assuming a centred posture and straightening her back. She then took a deep breath and raised her sword above her head, waiting for the boar to get into range. New words in blue text unexpectedly flashed on her vision interface.

'Sword Skill: Diagonal'

There was no time to figure out its meaning and she allowed her mind to go with the flow. She swung down with all her might. At that moment an unknown influence guided her movements. It could have been her imagination, but this attack was just too flawless. A faint blue glow enveloped her sword and left a trail of light as it made a clean cut through the frenzy boar's body. It was no doubt a fatal blow.

Her eyes widened when the animal did not drop to the ground as expected. It was too close. She had to dive out of its way. But for some reason, her body wouldn't move!

"Wha- AH!" She cried out in pain. She landed on her back coughing, the wind knocked out of her.

A solid blue line flashed in the top left corner of her vision interface as it decreased in size. It was her hit point bar, a representation of her life force. It would probably be very bad if its value reached zero.

The frenzy boar had an HP bar of its own, which was shown over its weakened figure. The bar's length was shorter and was a sickly yellow instead of a healthy blue. Her last attack must have dealt more than 50% of its maximum health. But it was strange that the percentage was not zero after such a powerful attack.

She plunged her sword into the ground and used it as a support to pull herself up. As luck would have it, she had no open wounds or broken bones. The game was probably set with safety restrictions due to real world ethical laws. It was still pretty realistic to concepts such as pain and there was even a bruise on the place she was hit.

For the second time, the frenzy boar scratched the ground with its hoof. It seemed to be the exact same attack pattern, probably intended to be an easy challenge for beginner players. It definitely explained why it did not trample her when she was down on the ground and vulnerable. She could not lower her guard. There was a possibility that the mysterious sword skill may throw her off balance again.

Even so, she did not hesitate. The blue animal was predictable when it came into striking distance and this time she sidestepped out of its way. There was no system message on her vision interface this time and in one fluid motion she swiped at the beast as it passed by. Her makeshift attack was successful and more blood was drawn from the animal.

The creature roared again in pain, yet it was able to limp away. Once again, its HP bar did not drop to zero. The sliver of health that did remain changed from a sickly yellow colour to a dangerous red. It was evidence that her last attack became significantly weaker.

There was a difference between her first and second attack, a condition behind activating that mysterious force or sword skill. It was a double edged sword, which made attacks flawless and powerful in exchange for a short period of movement delay afterwards. If used properly, it could become a useful asset. Likewise, improper use would result in her downfall. She had a rough idea to make it work consistently.

It was time for her to take the offensive. She kicked off the ground and easily closed the distance to her opponent. The frenzy boar widened its eyes in surprise as if it did not expect the change in her behaviour. She got into stance and raised the sword above her head trying to emphasize her initial movements. As suspected, the system message appeared on her vision interface and a faint blue glow returned to the blade's edge.

'Sword Skill: Diagonal'

It was as if the unknown influence was knocking on the doors of her mind and she chose to go with the flow once again. Her sword diagonally slashed through the frenzy boar's body, its strong force knocking it aside.

It bounced off the ground multiple times, similar to how a flat rock skips when thrown in a pond. With no health left, the life in its eyes faded and its body became colourless. It then shattered into thousands of polygons and a sound similar to breaking glass echoed throughout the air. The fragments scattered and rose, reflecting the light of the sun's rays.

She held out her free hand and caught one of the floating fragments. It felt lifelessly cold to the touch and dissolved into smaller pieces until nothing could be seen. Her gaze then fell upon the dull blade in her other hand. The mysterious force which was referred to as 'sword skill' could really turn any new player into an efficient fighter if given enough time. Though it was no replacement to real skills that was earned with hard work and dedication.

"I'm impressed," came the voice of a stranger from behind. "You actually used the system assist program effectively in your first battle."

She whirled around to face the newcomer. It was alarming to how close this person got without her noticing. Did he have good or ill intentions? Was he alone?

"Who are you?" She asked warily.

"You can call me Kirito," he replied with a calm expression.

This person seemed to be the same age as her, though she couldn't be sure because of any possible customizations from the character creation process. He wore black pants, matching boots, a beige leather vest and a blue shirt underneath. He also seemed to have selected the same sword as her, which was carried in a leather sheath.

"I'm Lyfa," she politely gave her display name in return. She then surveyed the surrounding fields, which appeared to be empty. "What brings you all the way out here?"

It was interesting to note that they were speaking the same language. SAO was an international game and there were players coming from many different cultures. It was possible that a program was actively translating the exchange. Then again, this person could be closer to home than she thought.

"The same reason you are out here I suppose," he shrugged after a brief moment. "Hunting wild frenzy boars and giant insect monsters."

"That's not what I mean," Her grip tightened around the sword's handle, making her feel somewhat safer. "There are miles of empty space around us. The chances of you running into me are virtually non-existent."

"Virtually huh? Nice pun," he gave a mischievous smirk. She in turn rolled her eyes. "Look, it's not my intention to make you uncomfortable. SAO has a program known as the crime prevention code. Any forms of harassment are a one way ticket to the nearest dungeon."

"I didn't know," she trailed off. She didn't really want to interrogate this person, but... "Is player killing a form of harassment?"

"I guess not," Kirito sighed. His expression betrayed no evidence of being offended from her suspicion. "It can't be helped. Such things are common in other games after all."

He leisurely grabbed a handful of grass and tossed it, letting the wind carry it away. His hand then reached for the one handed sword strapped on his back. It made a eerie, familiar metallic ring as it was drawn. He extended his sword arm to the side and began to slowly walk towards her.

"What are your intentions then?" She asked, taking a few steps back.

There was no need for an answer. At that very moment, a very large number of frenzy boars emerged from the other side of a nearby hill. It was a violent stampede.

"I came to warm you of that," he pointed at the now obvious danger. "I wasn't the only one who saw your battle. Maybe they want to avenge their fallen friend?"

"Ah. I see," she muttered in disbelief as she counted almost thirty or forty of them. Also, wild boars are supposed to be territorial and not come in herds. "Why are there so many?"

"Well technically it's not a lot," Kirito replied. "This field was designed for a large amount of players to train in. Unfortunately, not many have found this place yet. That's why it was so easy for me to spot you."

"Shouldn't we run away?" The urgency in voice was building up for every second that passed. They were getting closer and closer. "We are just asking to be trampled here."

"Don't worry," he replied in a confident tone. "I know what I'm doing. We got this."

His assessment of the situation was correct. The frenzy boars did not charge in a straight line, which would have led to a quick, humiliating death for any level one player. Instead, the cluster of enemies broke apart into two groups in an attempt to surround them. It was likely that their programming was written in such a way to make things easy for beginners. Then again how could a beginner possibly fight such a large number of enemies?

Kirito turned his back to her. She responded by doing the same. They would fight back to back and cover each other as much as possible. She had no choice but to trust this boy. If he wanted to attack her, then he would have done so already.

"Just don't get thrown into the air this time," Kirito added.

"Oh," she felt the redness rising in her cheeks. The pain from the frenzy boar's last attack was already forgotten. Too bad the same couldn't be said about the embarrassing memory. "You saw that."

"More or less," he answered. "Anyways, I'm interested to see who defeats the most monsters."

We waved his hand in a certain pattern and a holographic interface of light appeared in front of him. The screen had many options and he scrolled down the list with the touch of a finger. He pressed a button and a virtual keypad appeared, which made it seem like he was accessing a personal computer terminal. After he finished typing, a prompt appeared on her visual interface.

'Player Kirito wishes to form a party with you. Do you wish to accept?'

"Eh?" She blinked. "Are you serious?"

"There's a timer feature built in so we can see how long we take," he replied. He waved his hand a second time to deactivate his holographic menu and it disappeared without a trace. "As for the amount of monsters defeated, we can keep count using a counter that is available when the party is formed. Sort of like a teamwork contribution feature to show who did the most work and who was loafing around.

He was serious. This was a situation where chances of survival were slim to none. The way he spoke sounded otherwise, it was reassuring. He spoke as if his victory was certain in this little competition.

"Alright," she nodded. It was as if a flame of spirit ignited in her eyes. She felt her competitive nature rising up.

She pressed the 'accept' button and her vision interface changed. Kirito's HP bar appeared under her own. There was also a digital timer that began to tick away like a stopwatch. Two counters also appeared next to each HP bar, its value would probably increase for each enemy defeated.

She raised her sword.

"Here they come," Kirito yelled.

A single frenzy boar from his side decided to make the first move. The boy in turn lightly pushed her out of its way. Using the momentum, she spun around and delivered a heavy attack to the boar's exposed side. At the same time, Kirito's blade dug into the back of the boar's head. The animal squealed in pain and fell to the ground.

Kirito's counter value changed from zero to one. The party contribution feature decided to credit him for the kill, which meant that he dealt more damage. Impossible, they both didn't use the system assist that time. His maximum HP was the same as hers, so it was unlikely that he was higher in level. His physical attack also appeared to have less force behind it. So how?

She had no time to think it over. Kirito already went out of his way to attack the next frenzy boar who was out of position. The boy's movements were efficient. It was as if he knew everything about the opponent before him. He managed to get behind it and the frenzy boar had to take the time to turn around. It was too late, a sword skill was already activated.

The attack sent it flying away. A few seconds passed and it exploded into countless polygons. It was just one strike. That was way too fast.

It wasn't over yet. She managed to create a strategy of her own. Her Sylph speed allowed her to quickly reach two frenzy boars that were in close proximity of each other. She then got into stance.

'Sword Skill: Horizontal'

The blade trajectory was barely long enough to hit both monsters. As expected from the her first battle, the system assist added enough power to her attack to deal more than 50% of the creatures maximum health in damage. They staggered back from the blow and desperately attempted to counterattack. She in turn attempted to break out of her sword skill's delay period.

It was close...

'Sword Skill: Horizontal'

Another side to side slashing arc left a blue trail of light through the frenzy boar's bodies, causing both to collapse to the ground at the same time. The sound of two glass objects breaking resonated with each other. She ran through the scattered polygons of light, her eyes already focused on the next two targets. Two attacks gave her two points on her counter, she still had a chance to win.

Ten minutes quickly passed, as indicated by the in-game clock. The counter on her vision interface displayed her score, eighteen frenzy boars. Her steady paced strategy allowed her catch multiple clusters of the enemy. Unfortunately, Kirito who was already fast at taking down single targets, eventually became faster as he established a movement pattern around the field. He was able to get twenty-one frenzy boars.

She sat on the side of the hill, trying to catch her breath. What was the state of her real body right now? Was her real heart beating just as fast as her virtual one? Was there even a difference?

There were other frenzy boars that grazed around. These creatures were oblivious to her presence, which was good. She was too tired and couldn't fight them even if she wanted to. Her attention turned to the figure that was leaning on a lone tree.

"Why aren't we being attacked?" She asked in between heavy breaths.

"The frenzy boar is not an aggressive monster," he replied. His free hand then wiped the sweat off his brow. "It only attacks if intimidated by hunters or if it witnesses the death of its companions."

Makes sense. It explained the cause of the stampede and the beginning of her first battle. The animals around her now were different and had no memories of the fight moments ago. They were spawned by the system to replace their predecessors. The process was controlled and discreet, where each frenzy boar appeared slowly and usually emerged from a bush.

"You seem well informed," suspicion seeded in her mind. "Is that the reason you defeated more enemies than me?"

"Well," he hesitated, unsure of what to say. "The frenzy boar has a weak spot at the back of its head. Aiming your attacks there would multiply your damage dealt and make one hit kills possible."

"How could you have possibly known that?" Her eyes widened in surprise. This person knew a lot for a game that was less than a day old.

There was a longer period of silence as she stared at him with a questioning look. The boy looked down, unwilling to relinquish his secret. She felt a bit guilty for prying in, but she really wanted to know.

"I had the brief opportunity to play this game awhile ago," he spoke slowly. "During the games beta testing phase."

"No way," she muttered, half convinced that it was a lie. The closed beta testing period was only available to a thousand players. It took incredible luck to win the raffle that granted them free access. "That means you know a lot about this game. That's cheating!"

"Knowledge is power," he laughed. "And to be fair, us testers didn't get that far in the game. It was kind of hard even with a six month allotment. Personally, I died a lot of times."

"It's my loss," she groaned in frustration. She then stretched her arms over her head and fell back upon the soft grass. "Though I still think that the competition wasn't fair."

"Yeah," Kirito sheepishly scratched his head. "I would have lost without the knowledge. You didn't hesitate out there. Do you practice a sword sport? Fencing? Kendo?"

"Kendo," she replied, staring at the sky. "In any case, I owe you an apology for being so cold. Thanks for saving me. Without you, I would have probably been overwhelmed."

"You're welcome," he answered, while walking towards her. "Although I think you would have been fine without me. You are pretty good at this. Do you want to train with us?"

"Us?" Her eyebrows raised. She didn't know that there was another person nearby.

"There was another player I found out here. He's pretty hopeless and dresses as a red samurai," Kirito shrugged. "Though he is a nice guy. He's probably wondering what's taking me so long to get back. What do you say?"

"I'd love to," she answered. "But it's way past lunch time. I need to grab a bite to eat."

"No problem then," the boy replied. "Just add me on your friends list and we could contact each other later."

"Okay."

She imitated Kirito's earlier movements and waved her hand around. As expected, a holographic interface materialized in front of her. According to the instruction manual, the 'friends' option should be above the 'log out' button. She used her finger and scrolled down the list. Something was wrong though. There was no log out button.

"That's strange," she muttered.

"What?" Kirito asked in concern.

She waved her hand twice, quickly closing and reopening the game menu. Fear built up in her chest as she repeatedly scrolled up and down. But it wasn't there. She couldn't leave the game.

"I can't log out..."

* * *

Sunday, July 1, 2012 - Start of the First Story Arc: Birth of the Black Swordsman

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This story is based on the light novel, Sword Art Online.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

I am up-to-date on all the translated volumes of the light novel and I am going to closely follow the anime, manga and its variants. I will write to the best of my ability to accurately portray the personalities and circumstances of every known character.

Hope you enjoyed chapter one of this fan fiction.

Subscribe and review for the next chapter.


	2. Crown of Thorns

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"Hello. My name is Cline. 24 years old. Bachelor," the newcomer stuttered out with an awkward, happy smile.

"I'm Lyfa," she replied, glad to make a second friend in SAO. This person wielded a blade that was curved and was dressed like a red samurai. She really hoped that this player wasn't hopeless as Kirito had described earlier.

"We have a lot to talk about," Cline hissed as he turned to face Kirito. "Eloping with a nice girl behind my back? Unforgivable."

"Don't say things that can easily cause some misunderstanding," Kirito answered back with an unreadable expression. He then gave a light elbow jab to the red samurai's side. "We have more serious matters at hand."

"Ah yes, of course," Cline quickly regained his composure after doubling over in a comical fashion. A few seconds passed and he turned with a sheepish look on his face. "Um, wait. What is the problem again?"

"The log out button," she replied in frustration. On a side note, she also pretended not to hear the 'eloping' part. "It's missing. I can't leave the game."

Every single player has a log out button. To access it, the player has to wave their hand in a certain manner, which would open up a personal holographic interface. The selectable icon is found at the bottom of the game menu screen and is very hard to miss. Pressing it would disconnect the player's mind from the game, allowing him or her to return to real life. The experience is supposedly similar to waking up from a deep sleep.

"We double checked and even triple checked," Kirito voiced his disbelief, though he looked relatively calm. Perhaps such occurrences were normal to seasoned gamers. "I doubt it's a mistake. Argus, the company that owns SAO, practically monopolizes the entire gaming industry. They invested so much to make this game a success."

"Common sense tells me that this is a bug," Cline said after a frantic search through his own game menu. "There has to be another way out. Return! Log out! Escape!" He shouted out to nobody in particular. His body even made poses. "Control, alt, delete! Link end!"

"There's no voice command to end the game," Kirito commented on the others' actions. "The instruction manual doesn't mention any methods regarding emergency access terminations."

"How about a more direct approach? I'll try removing the Nerve Gear," Cline said as his hands reached for his head. However his character avatar had no such helmet on and his grip enclosed empty air. "Oh. I was sure that would work."

"There's a difference between our real bodies and our character avatars," Kirito replied with crossed arms. "Your real body is wearing the helmet. Your virtual body is not, obviously. Every signal in the nervous system is intercepted by the Nerve Gear and rerouted as computer data. It's the reason for your lack of movement in the real world. Think of it as a safety feature that will prevent any real world accidents, such as banging your arm on a bedside table or falling down the stairs."

"Almost every signal in the nervous system," she spoke up in an effort to correct him. There was added emphasis on the word 'almost'. "If every signal was blocked, then important things such as our vital organs would cease to work. Cline's on to something though. What if somebody else removes the Nerve Gear for us? A family member or friend is bound to realize that something is wrong when we remain missing for far too long."

"But I live by myself," Cline muttered dejectedly. It was another dead end. "Ah whatever then. Forcefully ripping something that connects to the mind can't be all that healthy anyways."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Kirito sourly muttered. Though he couldn't deny that a plan B was still needed. "Why isn't there any intervention from the game developers? It's in their power to shut down the servers and log everyone out. There should have at least been a system announcement to inform us of what's going on. Millions of players could be trapped as we speak."

"Or this could be an isolated problem and it's just us," she mused aloud. Though a part of her hoped that they weren't so unlucky. "I'll find out for sure by contacting a GM. If there's anybody who knows what's going on, it would be them."

According to the game manual, a GM was an abbreviation for Game Master. They were paid employees who provided technical assistance to players. Their responsibilities ranged from banning malicious players to fixing errors in the game. However, they were not permitted to become personal guides, which was unfortunate. She could have used the help earlier in the day.

Her game menu was still opened and she pressed the appropriate button to start the connection. There was a dial tone and even a screen for viewing the would-be receiver, exactly like how one would make a modern phone call. Almost a minute passed as they waited in anticipation, but nobody answered. Eventually an automated message appeared on a new holographic window.

'We are currently experiencing an abnormally high volume of calls right now. Please wait for one of our customer representatives to assist you. Sorry for the inconvenience. Estimated time left: Over 9000 hours'

"Ridiculous," Cline groaned as he saw the response. He then clutched his head in despair. "I can't return to my own body in my own room. I'm starving and the pizza deliveryman is soon going to be at my doorstep. Worse yet, my own place could be on fire!"

"I don't think you're that unlucky," Kirito joked, earning him a stomp from Cline's shoe. "Sorry," he gave a sympathetic smile. "I understand that this is pretty serious. Players are being withheld from their education, employment and families. I'm pretty sure that a few laws are being broken if they continue to hold us here."

"Well, nothing we can do about it I guess," Cline shrugged in defeat. He then sat down on the grassy hill in an attempt to calm down. "Hopefully this is one big joke. Maybe all this would be fixed momentarily-"

"...!"

The man was interrupted by a deafening sound that reverberated throughout the skies. It was the chime of a giant church bell, with a low tone that made it ominous in nature. The way it rang out delivered an increasing sense of urgency. Everybody kept quiet, as if uttering even a single word would have set off a bomb.

She was almost correct. There was a blinding flash of light and she instinctively braced herself. Her pupils contracted and the environment around her deformed into a faint blur of colour. The chime of the bell overwhelmed her senses. It was disorienting, a feeling similar to emerging from a pool of water after belly flopping. She wanted it to stop, but the light pulsated with an increasing intensity. There was one final flash.

Then there was nothingness...

ooo

The intense lights and deafening sounds finally ceased. She lowered the arm that was shielding her eyes and realized that the expansive green meadows that once surrounded her were all gone. The scenery was replaced by medieval buildings, a giant marble fountain and wide cobblestone roads. Everything was familiar. This was the very place where she first started her journey. It was the central square of a starter city.

The place was jam packed. There were definitely more players here now compared to earlier in the day. Fortunately, Kirito and Cline were next to her. She could have easily been separated from them. Some of the nearby players nearby were not so lucky. Most looked lost, confused and even angry. Their collective murmurs were getting louder and louder. She feared that this widespread panic could spark a riot at any moment.

"Is the problem fixed yet? I want to go home. I can't log out! My party members can't log out!"

"A forced teleport? I thought you needed a rare, expensive item to initiate such a process."

"Must be the work of a GM. They must have put in a lot of effort to organize all of this. This must be the grand opening event. You know, the computer voice explained it to us in the character customization thingy earlier."

"Who cares? They have no rights to waste our time like this. I need to get back to work or else I'll be fired. I'm going to sue you Argus!"

"I'm scared. Enough with the jokes. Let us out now!"

"Up there!" It was Cline's voice. The three of them were dead silent to this point, but he actually managed to yell above the crowd. "Look to the sky!"

It was enough to get everyone's attention. She looked up and saw a few holographic screens in the shape of a hexagon. There were alternating words on each glassy panel in black, bold letters. The first word was 'Warning' and the other was 'System Announcement'. She breathed in a sigh of relief, glad that this predicament would finally be solved.

Everyone fell silent as the hexagons suddenly multiplied and blanketed the entire sky. The crisscrossing gridlock of artificial panels robbed the environment of its tranquility. The blue sky that was bathed in the yellow rays of the sunset was immediately forgotten, replaced by something far more sinister. It could only be described as a crimson twilight.

Out of it came a viscous liquid that flowed like thick maple syrup. It oozed from the gaps between the hexagons, similar to water from a leaky faucet. Its colour was like blood, which made sense considering its origin. She found it strange that the mysterious substance did not rain down on her, rather it stopped in midair and collected. The accumulated volume of mass was taking a new form, as if it were alive.

There was a flicker of electricity and 'it' rose up. The liquid morphed into a crimson robe with golden embroidery that was fit for royalty. This long piece of clothing draped over a towering humanoid figure, but something was off. This giant did not have a face. In fact, she couldn't see any flesh on this thing at all. It was a floating ghost.

"That's the robe of a GM," Kirito whispered in an anxious tone. "Weird. Normally there's a character avatar underneath. Usually its a generic bearded man or a bespectacled woman, sorta like a wizard or a teacher. This guy is different. I don't like this."

"Relax," she tried to give a reassuring smile. Though she felt her nervousness settling back in again. "Nothing bad is going to happen." They paid for this game right? Argus has the responsibility to protect their valued customers.

"Attention players," the crimson ghost addressed them in a deep, metallic voice. It was a male, with a tone that was laced with a blend of authority and hospitality. "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. Right now, I am the only person in control."

She recognized that name. He was always in the news, practically a celebrity despite his preference to stand hidden behind the scenes. A leading quantum physicist and neuroscientist who designed the Nerve Gear. A business genius who built Argus from the ground up into a multibillion dollar company with connections to many powerful political figures. The one man with an imagination to breathe life into the vast world of Aincrad.

This person was not a mere GM. The crimson ghost hovering above her was supposedly the executive producer and the design director of the entire SAO project. He had every right to call this place his own world. His current appearance bothered her though. She pictured that a person of his stature would appear in a formal suit or a casual lab coat. At the very least, he should have shown his real face. What was his motive for creating such a mask?

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the log out button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game." The crimson ghost's non existent hands were enclosed by pure white gloves. He waved one around to open a giant game menu, revealing that the log out button was still not there. "I repeat. This is not a defect. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You can no longer log out by your own will. Also, no one in the outside world can shut down or remove your Nerve Gear. Should this be attempted, the transmitters inside the Nerve Gear will be triggered to emit a powerful microwave, thus destroying your brain and subsequently ending your life."

She froze at those words. Some players simply refused to accept the situation and attempted to walk out of the central square. They were denied by an invisible barrier. There were others who couldn't understand at all and spoke out in defiance, but she didn't hear them. Her mind was blocking them out. This couldn't be a joke. Kayaba Akihiko was taking things too far. He just issued them all a death threat and she didn't know how to respond. Never before had she felt so helpless.

It was just a game. The Nerve Gear was supposed to be a tool for entertainment, not an instrument of execution. In theory, microwaves would add kinetic energy to water particles, which would generate an enormous amount of heat. If applied to the brain, it would fry it. The threat of dying was real. She immediately regretted her actions. How could she have placed something so dangerous on her head? It was a crown of thorns!

"Wait! Wait!" Cline's voice yelled out. It was enough to snap her back into reality or more accurately, virtual reality. "What happens in the case of a sudden power outage? Actually, I'm pretty sure that some of my friends are currently running on battery power. What will happen to them?"

"To be a little more specific," the crimson ghost continued speaking, as if it heard Cline's question. It was unlikely though, considering the amount of people that it was delivering a message to. "Dislocation from an outside source of electricity for more than ten minutes, being cut off from the network servers for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence would initiate. These conditions have already been issued to the government and the public through the mass media in the outside world. On that note, there have been cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully remove the Nerve Gear. The result-"

Three digital counters briefly flashed on her visual interface.

'93.81 million Nerve Gear units active'

'4.06 million Nerve Gear units pending activation'

'2.13 million Nerve Gear units terminated'

"Regretfully a little more than 2.13 million players have already exited the game and the real world, forever."

She heard a long, thin scream. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. She had to be strong. To think that so much people were already dead. They probably didn't even see it coming. There was probably a starter city out there, where a central square was deserted. It sent shivers down her spine to know that they were all dancing in the palm of a mass murderer, one who was omnipotent.

"Players," the crimson ghost resumed its businesslike monologue. She couldn't really tell if its voice wavered a few seconds ago. "There is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. Thus you can assume that the danger of a Nerve Gear being removed is now minimal. In the two hours that I have allotted, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes. You will receive the best treatment possible."

She watched as various holographic screens encircled the twenty metre tall ghost. One screen showed a news anchor with a dramatic headline in a foreign language about trapped SAO players and the demands of the cyber-terrorist, Kayaba Akihiko. Another screen showcased a popular massive multiplayer online forum known as MMO stream, which was continuously flooded with posts regarding the sudden deaths of over two million people. Another screen was a live broadcast of a hospital, where countless unconscious players were being rushed in. There was one mother who was weeping next to a girl with a Nerve Gear on.

That's right. Her mom promised that she would be waiting for her tonight and dad was finally coming back from his overseas business. It was her one chance to be part of a family again. She wanted to go home, to practice kendo, to hang out with her friends, to fall in love and to even learn at school. She wanted to live out her ordinary life and it was all being ripped away. It was possible that she may never ever wake up on her bed again.

Was her survival in the real world even guaranteed? One hundred million people suddenly induced in a comatose state and two million of them already dead. It was nothing short of a global disaster, a large number even when compared to the billions living on planet earth. Most governments would support them for the long term, but it will be hard considering the current economy. Then again, this was an easy task if Argus lent out its accumulated wealth and power. The company was untouchable due to their abundant supply of 'hostages'.

"There is only one way to be freed from this game," the crimson ghost stated with its metallic voice. A small scale 3-D model of Aincrad materialized before him. "Clear the game. You are presently on the lowest level, floor one. Find the dungeon, navigate your way through and defeat the floor boss. Only then would the second floor be unlocked and you can advance onwards. Defeat the final boss on floor one hundred and all players still alive would be logged out safely. I give you my word."

"You want us to continue playing?" Kirito finally shouted back in anger. His words stood out more than the other loud cries from the crowd. "This isn't a game anymore!"

"I ask you to understand that Sword Art Online is no longer a simple game," the crimson ghost stated as if it heard Kirito. The restless crowd fell silent once more. "It is a second reality. From now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. If the value of your HP bar drops to zero, you will die. Your character avatar will be gone forever and your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear."

She couldn't imagine anyone leaving the city now. The stone walls provided a safe sanctuary from the monsters that roamed the wilderness. Those creatures can actually kill them. They were all sentenced to this world, this prison against their own will. SAO devolved into a game of death. She couldn't accept this new reality that fate handed to her.

"I will show you evidence that this is the only reality," the crimson ghost said with grim resolve. "It is now time for the special surprise that was promised to you all in the character customization process. Players, please check your inventory. There is a gift from me."

She sluggishly opened her game menu. In her inventory tab was something that wasn't there before, an icon labelled, hand mirror. She pressed it and a small, reflective object materialized out of nowhere and fell onto her open hands. It was a mystery to her, since she wasn't carrying a bag of any kind. She wondered why she was given such a cheap mirror, but she realized that it didn't really matter. She didn't want to care about anything anymore.

She jumped at the unexpected shouts and screams of players who were instantly engulfed by a mysterious blue flame. The bizarre phenomenon ended as quickly as it started and nobody appeared to be hurt. Those who emerged from the light were different, as if replaced by someone else. Most of the affected players were staring at their hand mirrors in shock. A few others looked at one another without any form of recognition.

What really stood out was the lack of elves, fairies, beasts or any fictional race for that matter. Those who chose to be human no longer had their supermodel looks. They were all normal looking people without any, customizations. It made sense. SAO was never intended to have different races. The idea was taken from another game that never saw the light of day. Why would giants and dwarfs coexist in the same city anyways?

There was no time for her to dwell on this, as she too was covered by an unknown blue flame. It was gentle and warm, but there was one more feeling, an indescribable sensation. She could actually feel her fairy wings dissolving away. The light quickly faded and she gazed at her personal hand mirror. As expected, the reflection that gazed back was really her original face. It was her, Kirigaya Suguha without any customizations. Her honey blonde hair reverted back to its original black colour with a bluish hue. Her lithe figure of an actress was replaced by the slender, toned body of an athlete. Even her graceful eyes...

It was wrong. Her right pupil returned to a normal dark brown colour, but her left pupil was still bathed in an emerald green. It was like the protagonist from her favourite fiction novels who had something known as moon eyes. It was because the world she lived on had two moons of different colours. The author called it, heterochromia. What was going on?

'Error Code 0011337 – Please contact a GM for assistance or shut down your Nerve Gear immediately.'

The message on her vision interface was of no help at all. It was probably safe to assume that there were no longer any Game Masters around. Shutting down her Nerve Gear was also out of the question. She closed her eyes and sighed wondering what to do next. Without warning, an intense pain shot through her left eye.

"Ah!" A quiet, pathetic cry escaped from her mouth and she fought the urge to scream. Her hand reflexively covered the sensitive area. She knew that there was nothing wrong with her real body, but her mind told her otherwise. She noticed from the corner of her opened right eye that this was only happening to her.

"This is a dynamic world," the crimson ghost said in an emotionless voice with outstretched arms. "An existence that cannot be conquered by sheer numbers alone. Please note that the crime prevention code and ethics code are still enabled under certain conditions. As of now though, all other restriction programs are now disabled, such as the profanity filters or pain limiters."

Pain was disabled earlier? So something else was responsible for the excruciating feeling within her left eye. No even before all of this, she recalled the sensation of pain from her first battle against the frenzy boar. She speculated that the problem was due to her own Nerve Gear or worse yet, her own mind. She gritted her teeth as another wave pain washed over her.

"Lyfa. Are you okay?" Kirito's voice called out to her in concern. He then gave a muffled gasp. "No way. Sugu?"

It was as if her heart stopped beating. She forgot that old nickname. There was actually only one person who ever used it. She looked up at Kirito. His height and voice changed a bit, but she recognized that delicate face and messy hair. The boy that she wanted to understand so much was right beside her this entire time.

"You're-" she abruptly paused, suddenly feeling greatly ashamed of herself. She had said many spiteful words to him a long time ago. This was her second chance and she didn't want to lose her friend again. "I'm sorry. Can I still call you Kirito?"

"Um," he hesitated briefly. "Of course. Of course you can," he finally replied with a relieved grin. Maybe he thought that she was still angry from that time. "No wonder you're so adept with a blade. Your identity explains everything. Still, I thought you hated games."

"Yeah," her voice trailed off as she tried to block out the frightened faces of the crowd. She stared straight into his eyes. "I still do, with a fiery passion."

"Considering all that has happened, that is very understandable," he replied. His gaze then narrowed at the place that was inflamed with pain, almost as if it was bleeding uncontrollably. "Never mind that. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'll manage," she sighed, thankful that the burning sensation was ebbing down. Though it worried her about the thought of a possible relapse. "I just want to go home. That crimson ghost. Why is he doing this to us?"

"Right now. You're all probably wondering 'why?' Why would Kayaba Akihiko, creator of Sword Art Online and the Nerve Gear, do this? I did it for one single purpose. To create this world and watch your stories unfold. Finally, everything has been realized. This concludes the official tutorial for the grand opening launch of Sword Art Online. Good luck, players."

There was an electronic noise and a noxious looking mist rose out of the robe like a slowly deflating balloon, as if to show that the presence of the ghost was leaving the central square. The clothing then melted back into its liquid form and rose soundlessly into the red hexagonal panels. Seconds later, the bloody twilight sky disappeared in the same manner that it appeared. The blue sky and yellow sunset returned and the NPC orchestra began to play background music, as if nothing serious happened.

The players thought otherwise. Everyone was rendered temporarily speechless. Then as expected, order broke down into absolute chaos. Countless voices screamed, yelled, begged and cursed out in anger, sadness and despair. The surging crowds clamoured for attention and even pushed against one another. It was as she feared, the beginning of a riot.

"No!"

"Let me out, please let me out. I have something important to do soon."

"My family. They are waiting for me on the other side. You can't do this to us!"

"Screw you! Who do you think you are? Get back here Kayaba Akihiko!"

"I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"You can't take damage in a city. Still, this place is going to get messy," Kirito said gently. He then offered his hand to her. "We shouldn't stay here. Follow me."

She was still kneeling on the ground. Things looked dire, yet she wasn't alone. There was still hope. Her hand reached out.

"Let's go."

ooo

The invisible barrier that surrounded the central square was temporary. Thus, they managed to slip out of the rampaging crowd. They ran off towards the outskirts of the city. The cobblestone streets were devoid of players, minus them and the occasional local NPC. Nobody dared to venture out this far. Nobody had the courage to leave the City of Beginnings, yet.

"We're going to the next village," Kirito said bluntly as they ran quickly through a dark alleyway. It was almost nightfall. "If what Kayaba Akihiko said is true, then the only way to survive in this world is by making yourself as strong as possible. The players who realize this will soon hunt in the fields around this city, resulting in a fierce competition for experience points and money. You'll be waiting forever for new monsters to spawn. The next village is unsaturated and our training should be efficient. I know all the paths and dangerous areas. Even at level one, I can get us there safely."

"Wait!" Cline's strides came to a halt. His distressed face was unkempt and rugged, which was definitely a huge change to the customized carefree samurai warrior she met an hour ago. "You know, I spent a whole night in line with my friends to buy this game. They're probably still back there. I can't leave them behind."

Time passed, seconds felt like minutes. She could see the conflict building on Kirito's face as he thought things over. She imagined herself with the burden of protecting five or six novices. It was no easy task. What if one of them died?

"If," she began to speak. "If there's anything that I can do to help-"

"No," Cline interjected with a lighthearted grin. He too understood the risks and consequences. "It's not right for me to always rely on you. Kirito, Lyfa, believe it or not, I was a guild master in the last game that I used to play. I'm very capable. I can also use what you taught me to get by. So don't worry, we'll be fine."

Kirito's shoulders were trembling. "Cline wait, I-"

"Enough," the red samurai replied with an unusual level of seriousness. He then gave a mischievous wink. "Protect Lyfa okay? We will all meet another day."

"Okay," the boy finally replied with downcast eyes. He then slowly turned to her. "Are you okay with going out there? I can never forgive myself if something happens to you."

"There's no way you're leaving me behind," she replied with a confident nod. If he goes, then she would go too. "I'm doing this out of my own choice. I trust your judgement."

"I see," Kirito mumbled and began to walk towards the gates of the city walls. "Let's say goodbye here Cline. If anything happens, send me a message."

"Will do!" Cline gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. "There's still a chance that this is all a bad joke. Who knows? We might be log out soon."

"Yeah," Kirito replied dryly. "See you later..."

"Take care..."

"Bye..."

She and Kirito ran past the gates, over the drawbridge and back into the open green meadows. Every so often, the boy would glance back with an expression of regret. Even so, there was no turning back now. They will continue to move forward.

They will survive.

* * *

Sunday, July 15, 2012

* * *

**Author's Notes: **This story is based off the light novel, Sword Art Online.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

I watched the first two episodes of the anime and I'm both impressed and disappointed at the same time. Impressed because the voice acting and animation quality is very good. Disappointed due to the time constraints set on episodes, which left out certain characters in the light novel like Coper and Argo. Some extra interactions between Kirito and Asuna were also excluded. If you want to know more, use any search engine to look up the SAO side story: 'Aria in the Starless Night'.

Hope you enjoyed chapter two of this fan fiction.

Subscribe and review for the next chapter.


	3. Forgotten Promise

**Chapter 3**

* * *

They were the first players to arrive at Horunka Village, a quaint old settlement nestled deep in a sea of trees. There were flimsy palisade fences instead of fortified stone walls and it was relatively small in size compared to its distant neighbour, the City of Beginnings. Both places were safe havens due to crime prevention code in effect, which would negate all forms of damage and make death virtually impossible. Such safe havens made for a suitable base camp to rest and resupply before challenging the dangerous depths of the vast wilderness.

The one who partially navigated this wilderness was Kirito, a beta tester. His past knowledge of the game allowed him to navigate this maze of a forest. He got them through the long hiking expedition completely unscathed, which was no small feat considering the fact that they were level one. Also, the holographic map found in the game menu did not pinpoint the locations of dangerous monsters, nor did it reveal any timesaving shortcuts. This information was learned through his past trial and error, a luxury that could no longer be afforded. Every mistake in the wilderness could now prove fatal.

She was worried for his sake, because this player was really her closest childhood friend. The reason she bought a Nerve Gear in the first place was to understand this person by observing the world from a different perspective, though it was beyond her expectations to meet him so soon, if at all. The boy's real name was Kazuto. She remembered him as a nice, quiet kid who was very skilled at anything he put his mind to. He was her true rival and the only person near her age that she really trusted. But one day, everything changed when he became cold and distant. He pushed her away when she tried to help. It was hurtful and she said many spiteful things without thinking.

Several years have passed since then and her heart was deeply filled with regret. She walked away, possibly at the moment when he needed her the most. Somehow in a twisted way, SAO provided her with a second chance to fix this problem. Right now, she really wanted to grab his arm, whirl him around and ask so many questions. Yet, she was slightly hesitant of touching upon the sensitive subject. She didn't want to risk the chance of being alone again, especially now of all times.

"Hungry?" Kirito suddenly asked while slightly turning his head to her. To think he would strike up a conversation after being silent all this time. "I could hear your stomach growling. We did miss lunch and dinner after all. In my excitement to play this game, I also skipped breakfast."

"Yeah. We should eat something then," she muttered in disappointment, since her chance to ask questions was lost for now. Still, it was very alarming to go the whole day without eating. "Wait a second. Virtual food is capable of stimulating the taste buds. However, it will not supply the nutrients that our real bodies need to survive. Aren't we going to die at this rate?"

"I don't think so. Based on Kayaba Akihiko's speech, our bodies on the other side are probably at a specialized medical institution. Most likely at this time, we are being forced fed by a tube and treated with intravenous therapy," he replied with a visible shudder. It definitely wasn't a pleasant thought. "There was an article about this in a popular gaming magazine, where doctors wanted to use virtual reality technology to help terminally ill patients. It never happened because the initial test subjects experienced the growing feeling of hunger for reasons that cannot be explained. We technically cannot die of starvation under such conditions. Eating is just a way to trick our minds into feeling full."

"Maybe we can hold off on the nice, hot meal for a little longer then," she said while feeling pale and queasy. If only virtual reality technology had fallen into the right hands, then they wouldn't be in this predicament in the first place. "All that aside, we came here to train efficiently right? Let's not waste any time."

"Hold on. Patience," he quickly replied with outstretched arms in an effort to slow her down. There was a pause, then a sigh. "Prolonged combat is very dangerous. I want to warn you one last time of the risks that are involved. Death is a possibility, even if I do everything in my power to protect you. Also, there are other ways to survive in Aincrad: fishing, cooking, blacksmithing, tailoring-"

"Nothing you say is going to change my mind," she teased him with a smile on her face. It was actually relieving and a bit cute to know that he was this concerned with her personal safety. "If you had your way, I would still be holed up at the starter city in fear. And you, protecting me? It's actually going to be the other way around. I promise."

"I see. Your persistent nature hasn't changed at all. I wonder where I would be now if you weren't here," Kirito said as his arms dropped down in defeat. He then gave a mischievous smile of his own. "You protecting me? Don't make me laugh. I doubt you know anything about role playing games. The official tutorial given by Kayaba Akihiko was pretty useless, so it is my job to provide you a proper education on the basics. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Their first stop was an equipment shop, built at the the end of the narrow plaza. The building resembled a modest cabin, where business was held downstairs and the living quarters was upstairs. As instructed, she sold all the raw materials found in her inventory, compliments of the defeated frenzy boars from earlier in the day. The extra funds were invested into a rather plain leather half coat, which she immediately wore over her dark green sleeveless shirt and short shorts. It offered decent defensive protection against physical damage and was cheaper and more flexible than the the dazzling set of full metal armour on display.

They then paid a visit to the general store next door. From the smoke rising from its chimney to the old fashioned clothes that the cashier behind the counter wore, such simple things were fascinating. It was so unlike the complexities of the modern city life that she was used to, where everybody bustled about at an ongoing fast pace. It was here in this laid back setting where they bought as many antidote and HP recovery potions as possible. These vials filled with the bizarre, colourful concoctions would allow them to train for longer periods of time.

The final destination wasn't a shop, but rather a private house near the centre of the village. This didn't stop Kirito from abruptly entering through the front door. She followed suit, ready to apologize to the occupants for the startling home invasion. Though the middle aged lady inside wasn't alarmed. Instead, the NPC who had a flashing gold question mark over its head finished stirring the contents of a boiling pot and turned to greet them warmly.

"Good evening, travellers," the lady said with a courteous bow. "You both must be tired. I do wish to offer some food, but I do not have any at the moment. All I can give, is a single cup of water or so."

"That will be fine," Kirito said without missing a beat, almost as if there was a script in front of him. His voice then fell to a whisper. "Listen carefully. This is the start of a quest. The right words would progress its storyline to completion, while the wrong words may result in an undesired outcome."

"Have a seat," the lady continued to speak while ushering them to the crude, wooden dinning table. There were two clay cups already waiting for them. "Please enjoy your visit."

"Thank you," he replied with a satisfied nod. As soon as the housekeeper was out of earshot, he spoke again at a barely audible volume. "You'll encounter many more quests in the future, so as practice, try to converse with this NPC and figure out what's wrong. Read the situation. Think before you speak."

"All right," she replied in a serious tone.

This was where her observational skills would be put to the test. Every so often, the sound of a child's dry cough could be heard from upstairs. Such noises caused the lady's shoulders to slump in despair. Most likely, this disheartened NPC was a mother with a very sick child. The lack of food and the simmering pot on the stove was a hint that something was missing.

"You looked troubled," she said to the distraught mother. Hopefully, the words she chose were correct. "Do you need something?"

"Actually," the lady's hesitant voice was trembling. She then broke down to tears. "My daughter has been struck by a severe illness. The medicine in the boiling pot isn't working, just like every other remedy from the market. The village elder said that the only cure is an extract from the ovules of a predatory plant in the forest, but it is impossible for someone like me to challenge those monsters and return alive. If worse comes to worst, I will try anyways."

"Everything's going to be okay," she said in an attempt to comfort the crying mother. For a brief moment, she was convinced that this compelling NPC was actually a real person. "Perhaps we can fetch this ovule in your stead."

"Really?" A spark of hope lit up in the mother's eyes. "Thank you. I will gladly offer a heirloom that has been handed down in my family as an expression of gratitude. Just please, come back safe and sound."

"Leave it to us," she accepted the request in a reassuring tone. She then finished her drink with a single gulp and stood up to leave. "We'll be back soon."

ooo

"Good job back there Sugu," Kirito said minutes later as they exited the village gates. "On a completely unrelated topic. What did you think of the water that the NPC served us?"

"Eh?" She blinked in confusion. That was a very random question. "Fine, I guess. Nothing weird at all. It quenched my thirst at the very least."

"I thought so too," he replied with a calculative expression. "Believe it or not, the Nerve Gear was once very weak at recreating liquids. In a nutshell, the near infinite amount of patterns that water polygons had to emulate was too much for the system. The feeling of water temperature, pressure and even transparency was all weird back in the beta test. Today I couldn't find a trace of artificiality at all. It was too perfect."

"So a bit of the game has changed then," she mused on the implications of his words. It made sense, a larger player base meant more upgrades. "Is our quest also different now?"

"No. Thankfully it's still the same," he replied while ducking to avoid a low tree branch. They were currently heading west in the forest. "The monsters that we have to hunt and the dialogue of the NPC hasn't changed one bit. If I remember correctly, the quest reward is a long sword of exceptional quality that should last us well into the third floor."

"So you want to replace our starter weapon, the one-handed small sword with this mysterious long sword," she concluded while remembering the fact that they didn't buy a new weapon back at the village. A certain shop keeper was greatly displeased, because Kirito was harshly criticizing the items on sale. "Is that why you held off on buying the bronze short swords back at the equipment shop?"

"That's part of the reason," he said without looking at her. Most of his focus seemed to be on their surroundings. They were close. "Our opponents have corrosive properties. Those bronze swords have low durability and will break easily against their attacks. I recommend sticking with the sturdier small sword for now, even if it does have less attack power. It would be pretty bad if a weapon breaks on you in the middle of battle."

"Broken weapons. Corrosive properties. Predatory plant," she listed the details aloud. In her mind, she visualized a gruesome battle involving acid spitting monsters. "What exactly are we fighting?"

"See for yourself," he answered as their steady advance came to a tactical halt. An outstretched arm was pointing to the 2 o'clock position. "Talk about perfect timing. There's one in the thicket over there, roughly fifty metres away. Fortunately, it hasn't detected our presence and it seems to be alone."

She focused her gaze on the predatory plant, shocked by its close proximity. The monster had two long tendrils that was covered with multiple sharp thorns. Its numerous roots were exposed to the open air, which allowed it to move around freely and silently. Its large pitcher-like mouth was lined with fangs that dripped with a viscous acid. It was a grotesque distortion of a Venus flytrap that was one and half metres tall in vertical height.

'Little Nepent – Level 3'

The name flashed on her visual interface in a malignant purple text. According to the instruction manual, the colour is an indicator of the differences in strength between a player and a monster. If the player was stronger, then the monsters name would be closer to a light rose colour. If the player was weaker, then the monsters name would be closer to a dark sanguine colour. If the player was neutral, the monsters name would be a plain red colour, similar to the time she fought the frenzy boar. In this case, she was weaker by two levels.

"We're still level one," Kirito whispered as he silently drew his sword. "That level three monster is something that gamers call a glass canon. It can deal high amounts of damage in exchange for low physical defence. Getting hit a few times would be disastrous for us, but at the same time it should only take us an average of four basic one-hit sword skills to take that thing down if we strike the stalk, its weak point."

"Four?" She repeated with incredulous muffled gasp. There was a lot of risk involved. "The resulting delay period from even a single sword skill would leave me vulnerable to a counterattack. Having my movements sealed after four swords skills may be too much for me alone."

"You're describing a very common problem for solo players," he explained with an insightful demeanour. "It's true that your body temporarily freezes up after a sword skill. However, a party member can choose to perform an action known as a type one switch. The system will negate the delay period and allow you to jump back. Your party member is free to perform a sword skill of their own. In most situations, switching could continue indefinitely. Let's try it out."

She nodded and they began to silently sprint towards their target. Unfortunately, all it took was the sound of a twig snapping underfoot to get its attention. The Little Nepent's grotesque head turned at a sickening angle and stared at them without any eyes. Even without vision, its mouth opened to spray acid out like a water gun with surprising accuracy.

"It can sense us from all directions. Don't try to attack from behind," Kirito said in between breaths. He then began to nimbly weave around instead of charging in a straight line. "Use the nearby environmental obstacles as cover against its ranged attacks. Be ready for its sweeping tendrils when you enter melee range. You can dodge this type of attack by jumping or ducking depending on the height of the swing."

"Understood," she replied while narrowly avoiding a pressurized spray of acid. Even with the noxious liquid melting the nearby rocks and trees, she was not afraid. It was just another opponent that needed to be eliminated.

It only took a few seconds to get in close. The monster hissed in frustration and gave up on its ranged attack. It then swung its thorn spiked tendrils with a massive amount of tension force behind it, making it snap around like a whip. However, the futile retaliation was expected due to Kirito's warning and she effortlessly dodged with a simple leap into the air. She then emphasized her initial movements to activate the system assist program and words in blue text flashed on her visual interface.

'Sword Skill: Diagonal'

She swung down her glowing blue sword. The external influence that guided her movements felt less foreign this time around. It was a clean hit, which caused the monster to cry out in pain. The HP bar above its head decreased by one-fourth, changing from a perfect blue colour to a healthy green. It was not enough to drop the predatory plant who could now freely retaliate. Ironically, she was the one rooted in place due to the sword skill's delay period.

"Switch!" Kirito called out from behind. Somehow his voice caused the restrictive pins and needles sensation in her body to disappear.

With the burden gone, she jumped away from the monsters follow-up swing. It was then that Kirito swept in with a sword skill of his own, cleaving into its fragile stalk. The HP bar above its head decreased by another one-fourth, changing from a healthy green colour to a sickly yellow. The boy froze in place for a fraction of a second. It was her turn to act.

"Switch!" She said the voice command and they both swapped spots once more.

With one fluid motion, her sword deflected the tendrils away. She should have dodged as instructed, because some of the thorny spikes broke off. Even the grazing hits were enough to cause an enormous amount of damage. It was very painful, but her more injured opponent seemed to be having a harder time. Its movements were slowing down, buying enough time for Kirito to recover. He circled around from another angle. Even though the monster sensed him, escaping was impossible. They then unleashed a simultaneous two-pronged offensive.

'Sword Skill: Horizontal'

The Little Nepent gave one last cry of anguish as the last half of its HP bar dropped to zero in an instant. It didn't even have enough time to hit the ground. The sound of glass breaking was heard as its body exploded into countless shards of colourless polygons. A holographic window materialized in its place like a floating gravestone, displaying the dropped money and experience points. This one didn't have any items though.

"Disappointing," she muttered with a HP recovery potion on hand from her inventory. The bitter tasting medicine slowly caused her wounds to close, like it was never there. "Where is the ovule?"

"You won't find one anytime soon. Unless you're incredibly lucky," he replied with a shrug. "You may have noticed that this predatory plant has a sprout on its head. The one that carries the ovule has a flower instead, but there is only a 1% chance of it spawning nearby. Be careful though, some have a round fruit hanging from its head. Its a trap. Simply touching it would cause it to release a pheromone that would attract every Little Nepent in the area. It's unlikely that we can deal with such numbers unless even if we level up a bit."

"Level up?" She returned a blank expression. A little clarification was needed. "What? Don't give me that look. You know that I am a total beginner to this stuff. Is that another gamer term?"

"Yes. Where to begin?" He drew a deep breath after an exasperated sigh. "Okay. Open your character tab icon in the game menu. See this number here?" His finger traced to the top of her holographic screen. "You're level one. The next level is achieved after gathering enough experience points from defeating a lot of monsters. As a reward, the system will award you some stat points. It is your job to invest these points into different attributes, which would improve your character avatar in various ways. There is a long list of attributes from dexterity to luck, but I cannot give an accurate analysis on them all. I can only give you information on three of the attributes that I tried before."

"The first attribute is known as strength. As you may have noticed by now, the HP bar of your opponents decreases every time you score a successful hit. Placing your points in strength is one of the ways to increase the base damage that you dish out. Your increased physical power would also allow you to do everything from carrying more objects to pushing obstacles with greater force. Despite the name, this attribute has nothing to do with your muscles."

"The second attribute is known as agility. Allocating stat points here would improve your movement speed. In an offensive sense, your damage potential increases because you can strike more frequently. In a defensive sense, it helps with dodging attacks to escaping unfavourable situations. Timing is important though. Just because your body is faster doesn't mean your mind is also. To be consistent and efficient, you will have to hone your mental reflexes."

"The third attribute is known as vitality. Its primary purpose is to noticeably boost your survivability in battle by increasing the maximum value of your HP bar. Granted, you do automatically gain a bit of HP every time you level up, but it isn't that noticeable. Players who invest a high amount of stat points here are known as tanks because of their superior ability to soak up damage with a lower risk dying. Vitality also has a secondary purpose, which is to improve your stamina. You can run, sprint and swim for longer periods of time. On a side note, tanks who usually wear heavy armour can't make very good use of this better stamina."

"There is another way to permanently improve your character known as extra skills, not to be confused with sword skills. Such skills could be related to your weapon such as the one-handed sword mastery or the two-handed spear mastery. There are non-combat related skills such as cooking or fishing. Other skills have passive benefits such as the sprint ability or the battle healing ability. Some skills have active benefits such as the hiding skill or the searching skill."

"The searching skill. So that's how you spotted the Little Nepent before in the thick vegetation," she mused as her finger cycled through the holographic game menu. There were many beginner skills to choose from. "So we gain proficiency points every single time we use a skill. I recall the game manual stating that there was a master rank if you get accumulate enough points. So what about the hiding mastery? Isn't that an invaluable ability in this stupid death game?"

"Normally at most locations, yes. At the moment here, no. Hiding allows you to cloak yourself within dark places if you remain relatively still. Such optical camouflage is useless against the eyeless Little Nepents who uses other means to sense its prey. The searching skill is like binoculars with a thermal vision feature. It allows me to find the monsters before they find me. Just so you know, all players start off with two skill slots. I would get the hiding skill when my third skill slot becomes available."

"So that's how it is," a stranger's voice echoed from the treeline. "Guess I have to rethink my strategy."

The intruder's entrance cut their conversation short, as having their backs exposed could lead to deadly consequences. She whirled around with her sword at the ready. Her gaze momentarily shifted to Kirito before falling upon the humanoid shadow in the distance, since this situation was strikingly familiar. This newcomer was definitely a player and a suspicious one at that. Why was he eavesdropping on their discussion?

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I did not mean to startle you," the player slowly approached them with both empty hands held high up. It was a boy with glasses, slightly taller than Kirito. "The name's Coper. I mean you no harm. I was very surprised to find players here so soon."

"Kirito," her friend introduced himself cautiously. Coper's last sentence suggested that he was the same, an original beta tester. "You're doing it too right? The 'Secret Medicine of the Forest' quest?"

"Ah. You got me," Coper exclaimed with a cheery expression. "The quest reward is an extreme bonus that contributes to the success of one-handed sword users like us. To think that there are three of us gathered here. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let's team up!"

"Not so fast," Kirito answered before the stranger could open his game menu to join the party. "You should know that this is an individual quest. Each player needs one ovule to obtain the reward. No offence, but having a third party member would require a third ovule and we honestly do not have the time. I want to return to the village before it gets very late. Furthermore, you are a stranger. I don't want to risk the chance of you looting our drops and running off."

"No offence taken. I totally understand what you're saying," Coper politely replied. His grin was unsettling, especially considering everything that has happened so far. "We are all victims here. It's practically a crime to take advantage of others now. Tell you what. Allow me to hunt with you guys. Three people would certainly clear out this area out faster. I would only take the third ovule that drops, if it drops, so no worries. What do you say?"

She shot Kirito a hesitant, unsure glance. He nodded and sent a private message through his holographic console, which stated that he trusted her decision. On one hand, they could respectfully decline and play it safe. You would never know what a stranger would do in the wilderness where nobody is watching. On the other hand, they could give this player the benefit of the doubt. A 1% ovule drop rate was indeed really low and having a third player may improve their chances. This Coper person shouldn't be capable of trying anything funny with the two of them outnumbering him. "Fine. Let's try it out."

"Awesome," Coper exclaimed enthusiastically with a fist pump. "I'm in your care. Please treat me well."

Things were indeed better with a third party member. They were taking monsters out one by one so fast, that it didn't even matter that the money and experience points were thinly divided out. Coper had relatively good defence and was equipped with a wooden buckler, which he used to block against every single incoming attack. By drawing the monsters attention away, the rest of them could focus more on attacking without any repercussions. In some cases, switching wasn't even necessary.

Picking off the Little Nepents was far too easy, because everyone opted to invest an extra skill slot into the searching skill. Coper even insisted on deleting his hiding skill and all the proficiency points in it, just to help out. He seemed like a nice person. He handed out compliments when things went well and offered to share his HP recovery potions when things went bad.

Attitude wasn't enough to achieve to their ultimate goal. Over an hour of combat had passed since they formed a team of three. They also invested some time allocating stat points to their character attributes, since all of them managed to reach level four. Close to two hundred and twenty five of the predatory plants were slain, but all of them were sprouts. The one with a blooming flower had yet to be seen.

"The flower is still not out," Coper bitterly chuckled to himself. They were all resting because there were no monsters in sight. "It really can't be helped. It's not a far cry to believe that the drop rates have been adjusted to make the ovule even rarer. Realistically, it can take hours or days or weeks before one even drops. My weapon is already broken and my shield is about to give too. Let's head back, resupply and call it a day."

"Wait. Not yet," she spoke up with a trace of fatigue in her voice. It was annoying that this person was trying to make them all give up. "Head back by yourself if you really want to, otherwise conserve what you do have left. I suggest we wait for the next wave of monsters and make one more pass around the forest. Do not engage the ones with the sprouts."

"Ah. Roger that," Coper reluctantly nodded. There was a strange glint in his eye, but she couldn't read what it meant. "I guess it would not hurt for me to stay a little longer."

With that out of the way, the party silently proceeded back to their vantage point. It was then that they heard the distinct sound of monsters spawning throughout the vicinity. She activated her searching skill, which displayed the environment in red and monsters in white. There was nothing out of the ordinary, just monsters sparsely scattered here and there.

They couldn't engage the Little Nepents one by one anymore, since Coper's resources were limited. Hence, she decided to perform another sweep over the area. Once again, there was nothing abnormal. She was proven wrong when one last creature spawned in the nearby clearing. The unknown radiated the unique heat signature of a common predatory plant, but its shape was somewhat different. It didn't have a sprout. The strange arrangement on its head was actually a large blooming flower.

"Look over there," she breathed a sigh of relief. They were making progress. "One with a flower. Due north. One hundred metres."

"Hold your position," Kirito whispered warily. He then pressed the command in his game menu to disable the searching skill and the glow in his eyes faded away. "It has a friend accompanying it, one with a fruit. If we trigger the trap, then our chances of survival are drastically lowered. Our team is no match for a flood of Little Nepents. We must be either extremely lucky or extremely unlucky to run into a flower and fruit deviant at the same time. Depends if your an optimist or pessimist."

"Then let's stick to the regular routine," Coper exclaimed excitedly, obviously an optimist. "I still have my shield, so I can distract and lure away the one with the fruit. As promised, you guys should take your time and finish the flowered one fast. Claim the ovule." He readied himself to make a mad dash towards the enemy. "Engaging."

They all took off towards their intended targets. The Flowered Little Nepent gave a triumphant hiss and began to rapidly spray its acid. Its aim was more accurate. The deviants stat attributes were probably also modified to be a greater challenge than its sprouted cousins. It didn't really matter now, since she already closed the distance and her character avatar was stronger as well.

'Sword Skill: Horizontal'

She landed a clean strike on the Little Nepents weak point, which actually severed it in half. Her increased proficiency in the one-handed sword mastery significantly shortened the sword skills delay period and she was ready to strike again. It wasn't necessary, because the monster's HP bar dropped to zero. The flower detached from its shattered body and gracefully fell to the ground like an almost weightless feather. The stigma then yielded a spherical object the size of a tennis ball. It was the ovule.

"Well done," Kirito approved of her accomplishment. "Looks like my assistance wasn't necessary at all. You catch on pretty quick."

"I have a good teacher," she replied with a wink. The ovule in her hand gleamed with a warm healing light. "Well, we have the prize now. We shouldn't keep Coper waiting."

She turned her attention to the boy with glasses who was warding off the Fruited Little Nepent. Without warning, he used his wooden buckler to aggressively bash the predatory plant's trap. The pheromone filled sac bursted easily like a balloon, which rapidly dispersed the foul fumes. She winced in disgust due to the pungent smell. What was he thinking? Coper's suicidal actions just condemned them all to a grisly fate!

She continued to stare at the unfolding scene in shock, unsure of what to do. Coper looked back with an apologetic expression of pity. All that optimism and cheerfulness he possessed was gone, or it never existed to begin with. He then bolted away out of sight with the intent to escape the incoming carnage. His name then disappeared off the party list on her visual interface, which was proof that this was no accident.

"We have to get away from the epicentre," Kirito shouted as he grabbed her hand. Based on his serious reaction, they were really in trouble. "All the monsters within a five kilometre radius will swarm this spot. We have to shake off as many Little Nepents as possible. Break away to the east towards the safe haven of Horunka Village. Run!"

Her legs began to move, though she gave no reply. In hindsight, she should have declined Coper's self-invitation into the party. His betrayal was a likely possibility that crossed her mind, but she refused to believe that it would actually happen. She denied this death game, while Coper embraced it. He was a player who would selfishly do anything for survival. It was now obvious that Coper wanted the ovule for himself. He was willing to kill them by using the monsters to his advantage.

That meant that he would have to come back later to loot the item off her dead body. His plan was flawed because first, she refused to die. Second, Coper no longer had the hiding skill, though the monsters would detect him no matter what. Third, he couldn't outrun the predatory plants because the monsters were actually capable of travelling at astonishing speeds. Fourth, he was all alone and weaponless, which meant he had little means of overcoming the multiple monsters headed his way. Despite all this, Coper was a beta tester. He wasn't stupid. There had to be something up his sleeve.

She was jolted out of her thoughts due to a sharp, hot sensation on her back. A stray shot from one of the chasing Little Nepents found its mark. The corrosive acid was burning through the worn out leather half coat. Despite being purchased just a few hours ago, the material simply took too much punishment, which caused it to break into countless shards of colourless polygons. She was left more vulnerable than before.

Her heart sank as she tried to count how many predatory plants were closing in from every direction. There were even Little Nepents who were latched onto the tree branches above. It was a sizeable force that could not be taken all at once. It already took a lot of effort to effectively evade all the noxious acid flying around.

"No," Kirito cursed in anger. He was using the searching skill to slip through the gaps to this point, but now they were surrounded. "We were so close too. Stay close to me. I'll break you a way through. Use that opportunity to run. You have to make it back home."

"I'm not leaving-"

Her words were cut off under the whistling of a corrosive projectile flying towards their position. With speedy reflexes, she kicked up a small rock to intercept the shot. The rock broke as it absorbed the attack and her raised arm was pelted with the pieces. There was no time to catch a breather. It was do or die.

Without acknowledging her response, Kirito dashed towards a cluster of monsters barring their path. He kept his body low so that most of incoming caustic spittle flew harmlessly overhead. Even in the face of overwhelming adversity, he was still keen on breaking a way through for her. There was a flash of blue light as his body unleashed a flurry of attacks that she did not recognize. He kept slashing and pushing the limits of the system assist. Soon enough he was frozen in place.

"Sugu!" He yelled out her name. A path was open, though monsters from the sides closed in to avenge their fallen comrades. "Escape now! Run!"

"No," she replied with her weapon drawn. Leaving Kirito here alone was basically his death sentence. "Switch!"

'Sword Skill: Diagonal'

She took his place at the very last moment. Her glowing blue edge hummed as it met the heavy spiked tendrils of another four Little Nepents. She was desperate by swinging with all her might, but her basic one-hit sword skill lacked the power of the combo that Kirito unleashed a moment ago. Her interception failed and she was knocked far back by the enemy.

It took a considerable amount of her stamina to land on both feet. She staggered back as a sharp pain shot through her stomach. The responsible object was a red thorn the size of a small kitchen knife, which was buried deep. Fake virtual blood slowly poured out of her wound, but the agonizing feeling of being stabbed was real. Her HP bar was now in the sickly yellow zone and she was all out of HP recovery potions. Funny how she persistently claimed that she wouldn't die, yet here she was just a step away from death.

"Sugu!" Kirito screamed in panic. He was currently occupied with another cluster of enemies. There was no end to these things. "Hold on. I'm coming. I will save you! Sugu!"

Dummy, it's supposed to be the other way around. That's right. She promised to protect him. The vow wasn't sealed today, but rather a very long time ago. She still had to ask him about that fateful day. She couldn't fall here now.

Time seemed to slow down as she drew her next breath. Her mind blocked out the pain and shifted her body into a relaxing stance. Her small sword was raised above her head with both hands and it gleamed with an ethereal sheen of the risen crescent moon. The glow of the system assist was non-existent this time as she needed more than just simple strikes. Aincrad was a world parallel to her own and there was no reason she could not use her wealth of real life swordsmanship skills.

She sensed the Little Nepent dropping from the trees above, the seven incoming corrosive projectiles and the whiplash of two spiked tendrils. She ducked under the melee swings and returned multiple slashes to its stalk. Her attacks lacked the empowerment of the system assist, but it felt graceful and natural. The first enemy was finished in a fraction of a second, giving her enough time to sidestep out of the other falling Little Nepent's way.

It hit the ground, sending a spray of earth into the air. The debris and the predatory plant's body took the ranged attacks for her. This was within her calculations and with a few extra strikes, the second opponent shattered out of existence. She then sprinted towards the enemies far way, vaguely aware that her blood was still slowly flowing and that her HP bar was still slowly decreasing.

The Little Nepents hissed in frustration as their ranged attacks missed. It must have been something in their artificial intelligence that caused them to uniformly behave in such a way. They then leisurely switched to their tendrils, an action that proved to be too slow. She already dived into the centre and delivered a hurricane of accurate strikes to the multiple enemies. The sound of shattering glass could be heard again and again as enemies fell.

"Third monster down, fourth, fifth," she mumbled to herself with laboured breathing. Time was still passing very slowly. "-thirty three, thirty four, thirty five-"

Just a little more and Kirito would be safe.

''Error Code 0011337 – Please contact a GM for assistance or shut down your Nerve Gear immediately.'

No. Not again. Not now. Her mind rejected the notion of the inevitable, but it was no use. An excruciating sensation exploded in her left emerald green eye, its intensity putting her stabbing wound to shame. So there was a relapse after all. What it was, she couldn't tell. She fell to her knees and a scream pierced the air. Her shaking hand unwilling released the blade. Her last chance was gone.

She hated this. It did not matter if Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of SAO, was lying about this being a death game or not. There really wasn't any difference between the virtual world and the real world when it came to death. It was simply a discrepancy in the mechanism of injury, where one can die from traps to monsters in the former and accidents to sickness in the latter. She had no reason to fear death now, since the possibility was always present. So what was bothering her? What emotion was gnawing at her heart?

Kirito was still calling for her in the distance and was out of reach for any intervention. Her HP bar was red and a stray Little Nepent was raising its spiked tendril to deliver a final blow. For some reason, she felt incredibly tired. The world around her seemingly faded away to darkness. As her thoughts faded too, she realized the answer to her question.

It was loneliness.

* * *

Sunday, July 29, 2012

* * *

**Author's Notes: **This story is based on the light novel, Sword Art Online.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters.

Coper is from the light novel chapter, First Day. He probably wasn't included in the anime because the character, Diabel served the same plot purpose. Their deaths shock Kirito into accepting the reality of SAO. It's a repetition of archetypes that the animators did without due to lack of time. Even Argo the Rat who I mentioned last chapter receives minimal episode exposure.

I spent too much time on this chapter. I really wanted to nail down the combat scenes. A huge influence to my story is your reviews. I read your comments despite my busy work schedule. It gives me the motivation to continue writing. Please feel free to share this story around.

Hope you enjoyed chapter three of this fan fiction.

Subscribe and review for the next chapter.


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